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April 2008
Bylines Briefly
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April is brimming with news from every corner of the SJMC! Thank you all for keeping us in the loop so we can share your good news with other alumni and friends.
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Space Explorations
There are essentially two ways to measure the success of a writer's work: impact and longevity. Carolyn Collins Petersen's (MA'96) work has both.
Petersen, a science writer, branched into exhibit writing a few years ago and it's taking her places she never anticipated.
"It's not that I set out on this trail," Petersen said. "You just write
about what you're interested in and pursue those projects." And
sometimes those projects lead you to something brand new
After graduating from CU with a bachelor's in elementary
education in 1978, she worked as a reporter for The Denver Post until a
round of lay-offs left her jobless. She returned to CU and her first
love--space. Petersen joined the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
(LASP) where she worked on the Hubble Space Telescope while earning her
master's in journalism.
Since leaving CU, Petersen has authored several books, written scripts for science videos and worked as a magazine editor. In March 2005, her expertise and experience in astronomy convinced the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles to hire Collins to write copy for a series of new exhibits.
Her success with the Griffith project has led to more work with museums. Petersen's next project is a series of exhibit panels on climate change
for the California Academy of Sciences. Although the Academy's
researchers have already "pre-digested" a lot of the material for the
panels, Petersen has been working her way through a stack of books,
scientific papers and the synthesis of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fourth Assessment
Report.
When the Academy chose Petersen to write its climate change exhibit, she was told, "We don't need writers with ego. We need writers who can tell a story." And the stories that Petersen tells will continue to teach to museum-goers for years to come.
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From the Front Line
Kelly Kennedy (MA'07) took on a monumental task when she began documenting the lives of soldiers serving in Iraq for the Army Times.
"Blood Brothers" is powerful and insightful, documenting the story of Charlie 1-26,
which Kennedy says, "essentially mutinied because they were afraid they
would pull a massacre if they went back." The company had suffered a
number of losses due to IEDs and were reeling after a first sergeant
committed suicide in front of his men.
Kennedy is now a finalist for
the Michael Kelly Award, commemorating the first U.S. journalist to be killed in
Iraq.
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Stupendous Students
The Colorado Broadcasters Association awarded SJMC senior and
independent producer Kathrine Warren first place in the category of
best sales promotion for an advertiser for ads she created for Coldwell
Banker Heritage House Realtors of Durango, which featured personal hero
spots from the staff that ran on radio station KSUT. Warren also produced on-air sound for KSUT's 30th anniversary in 2006.
Kasia Broussalian, a junior, placed in the top 20 for the second time this year in the William Randolph Hearst Foundation Journalism Awards Program photojournalism competition.
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News & Events
Inside the Gold Frame
A team of National Geographic photojournalists and magazine, Web and video editors will present a daylong workshop in multimedia journalism and NG's new emphasis on environmental advocacy. The event is open to the public and runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, April 25, on campus in the ATLAS Black Box Theatre.
- 9 to 10:15 a.m. National Geographic Approach to Journalism, Case Study: Recent Reporting on Global Warming
- 10:30 to Noon The Challenges of Media Convergence, Case Study: The Human Footprint
- 1:30 to 2:15 Breakout Sessions on Technique (Choose still photography, Web design or videography)
- 2:20 to 3 p.m. Breakout Sessions on Technique (Choose still photography, Web design or videography)
Donations on the Rise
In the CU Foundation's annual telefund campaign, generous friends and alumni have donated $24,400 to the SJMC so far this year. That's compared to $16,000 at the same time last year. Such donations allow the school to offer student scholarships and programs that otherwise wouldn't be possible. Thank you for your support!
Radio 1190: 'Best of Denver'
For the 10th year in a row, Radio 1190 was recognized by Westword with a "Best of Denver" award. Westword called the station "an oasis of exciting music, creative programming and community support in a desert of corporate mediocrity."
Parent Lends Campus Press a Guiding Hand
Jim Birschbach, father of SJMC Broadcast News student Kelley Birschbach, volunteered to consult for the Campus Press on the matter of a revenue growth plan. Birschbach was the VP-Sales for TCI when it was the nation's largest cable company, he now operates his own consulting company for media/advertising sales. His clients include ESPN, Nielsen Media Research, NBC Cable and Google.
Messiah in the Media
Explore how media culture, civic engagement and spiritualities intersect to form practices, discourses and the material expressions of social change with the Center for Media, Religion and Culture. The center is co-sponsor of the "Media, Spiritualities, and Social Change" Conference, June 4-7, on the CU-Boulder campus. Email Professor Stewart Hoover with questions or visit the center's Web site to register.
Meet me in Chicago
The School will host a July 22 alumni reception in downtown Chicago. Location TBA. Chicago area alumni are invited to email Beth Gaeddert for more details.
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Voices from the Podium
Media and politics scholar Lance Bennett gave the 46th annual Crosman Lecture March 19. Bennett is a professor at the University of Washington and director of the Center for Communication and Civic Engagement.
"When the U.S. democracy most needs an independent critical public voice, the American press vies not to provide the facts."
"Tell me you're objective and I'll doubt you immediately ... The journalistic norm of objectivity or balance in effect means that circles of authority or government become the basis or kind of the surrogate for objectivity."
"[Hurricane Katrina] was refreshing, even if tragic in focus. And there was some brief discussion that maybe this would change journalism ... Journalists thought, 'Maybe this is a break through moment.' But then slowly, slowly, slowly, reality returned and the spin machine veered up again and the surge is working and we're on the path to freedom in the middle-east."
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Faculty News
Accolades for Ackland
Associate Professor Len Ackland was chosen by the Fulbright Commission to be one of 17 U.S. scholars to participate in the 2008 German Studies Seminar titled "Science and Society: The Impact of Science on Policy Formation." The two-week seminar will be held in Berlin and Brussels this June.
This spring, Ackland was also awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for 2008-09. He joins the ranks of Ansel Adams, W. H. Auden, Vladimir Nabokov,
Eudora Welty, Langston Hughes and thousands of other brilliant
scholars, artists and writers who have won Guggenheims over the 84
years of the program. Just 7 percent of this year's 2,600 applicants received awards.
Ackland's Guggenheim project is entitled "Nuclear Power at a Crossroads," in which he will examine issues surrounding nuclear power from the German, French and American perspectives (reporting for what will eventually become a book).
Teaching Civic Engagement
Assistant Professor Kendra Gale was awarded a $3,000 grant from the Institute of Ethics and Civic Engagement to coordinate a series of campus-wide workshops on "The Pedagogy of Civic Engagement," beginning in the fall.
New Kid on the Block
The SJMC is proud to announce the addition of J. Richard "Rick" Stevens to the faculty. Stevens comes to CU from Southern Methodist University where he taught media ethics. He will teach reporting and round out the SJMC's curriculum with classes on new media.
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Pay it Forward
Eager for the opportunities that await, students lined up to talk with
about 50 recruiters at the first-ever job fair held as part of Career Day on March 12. Help these greenhorns get their
start and connect with other alumni by joining the Career Network.
- Join the Career Network.
You'll become a contact for other SJMC graduates looking for jobs in your area of the country or field of work. Our Career Network has hundreds of alumni contacts. Adding your name is an easy way to give back to the School by sharing your expertise with other SJMC alums.
Evan Gibbard ('02) and Stevie Meier ('06)
recruit for Colorado Mountain News Media
and the Vail Daily.
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Thank you for your continued interest in the SJMC. Please let us know what we can do to serve you better, and keep those comments coming!
Regards,
Beth Gaeddert
Director of Career Services and External Affairs
&
Felicia Russell
Newsletter Editor
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